From our liberal elementary school teacher mom we were raised to value every person, child and creature and to see the beauty in giving back, even when its not recognized or appreciated *hello teaching in NC*. She instilled in us the value of appreciating our social infrastructure and the importance of putting others and our own community in front of ourselves in order to achieve maximum growth.

On the flip side, our conservative corporate banker dad taught us that even with the fire in our hearts, there’s a need for fiscal responsibility, and always time for a cost effectiveness analysis. You may not think about where every penny of yours goes, but you should – because it matters.

___________________________________________

“Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”
Anna Lappe, O Magazine, June 2003

___________________________________________

It matters.

Everyone has a stake in our social infrastructure, and we needed to find a way to encourage and/or enable everyone to become active participants. We’ve done the research, we’ve done the math and we’ve created the resource. All that’s left is for you to use it!

The reality is that our global economy and society are unsustainable at their core. No amount of tweaking or fixing will make them sustainable. Sure, we can create social enterprises that patch up the ills created by our current systems, but that comes with the silent resignation that all we can do is make life a little bit better as we slip into the unknown abyss of an unsustainable world. Yay! Doesn’t that sounds fun?

We’re rethinking scale and revisiting replication. Systems that put a premium on scale value control so the maximum amount of power and wealth flow to the few at the center – not cool. Replication values solutions that others can copy and adapt so power and wealth are distributed more evenly to many – that’s pretty cool. Just as our financial portfolios need diversification to mitigate risk and thrive, our social, economic and cultural systems need diversity to thrive and maintain a healthy and functioning system as well.

We’re creating a system, www.Gets2Give.com that works for the local community, not corporate america, not political agendas, not those that are already making their way to the top – or currently reside there – but the power of the people and their immediate social needs.

First, we want to challenge the way we, as a society, finance social good. Americans rely on nonprofits for food, shelter, education, healthcare and other necessities, and everyone has a stake in strengthening this social infrastructure. However, there is a growing gap in between the level of charity that we need and the level of charity that people, and the private sector, are willing/able to fill; thus, leaving the responsibility of that gap in the hands of the government. And even with the private sectors contributions,the majority comes from – you guessed it, those at the top. It’s an endless popularity and monetary driven game, if you know the right people and have the right resources, you’re good, if you don’t, well – good luck. Who cares which need is greater – right? Wrong.The struggles nonprofits face are not the short-term result of an economic cycle – there’s money, its just not available to everyone – they are the results of fundamental flaws in the way we currently finance social good.

Secondly, we want to reexamine how we, as a society, contribute to an entrepreneurial eco system. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy. Nearly twenty-eight million strong, they employ more than 56 million workers and create two out of every three new jobs in America; That’s 99.7 percent of all employers nationally, with more than 50 percent of all Americans under their employment. That’s a really freaking big deal – hello people complaining about jobs and the economy, stop overlooking the real forces of the market. Who creates jobs? Small Businesses. Who stimulates the economy? Local Consumers. Why are we not focusing on them? Because that wouldn’t be “compatible” with the current system our society functions in. So let’s change the system!

Encompassing those two goals, our mission is two-fold: to lessen the need for government action and increase the overall efficiency of the charitable movement based on need instead of power and wealth; and to build and promote a self-liquidating system focused on sustainability for the community as a whole, where small businesses will be able to mutually reinforce each other and pioneer the changing of the face of business, to bring it back to the local level. We may not have a lot of resources, but we’re determined and we’re all in. Let’s do this.

Wesley Harris

Founding Partner

Wesley graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in Spring 2009 with a degree in Economics and from Clemson in 2014 with a Doctorate in Economics.

Wesley brings valuable intellect from his work with transfer pricing, but his best commodity comes from his experience in the education sector. Wesley is extremely passionate about educating the public and bringing about lasting change that can shape and enhance our future generations.

Meredith Fleig

Founding Partner

Meredith graduated from East Carolina University in Spring 2009 (Arrgghh!) with a degree in Architectural Design and minors in Business and Project Management.

Meredith has years of experience managing start-ups and small businesses, from marketing to website design and sales. She has also been an active member in the nonprofit sector for a decade. Meredith is conventionally quirky and a pragmatic dreamer. She fights for the underdog and never backs down from a challenge.

Wesley Harris

Founding Partner

Wesley brings valuable intellect from his work with transfer pricing, but his best commodity comes from his experience in the education sector. Wesley is extremely passionate about educating the public and bringing about lasting change that can shape and enhance our future generations.

Wesley graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in Spring 2009 with a degree in Economics and from Clemson in 2014 with a Doctorate in Economics.

Meredith Fleig

Founding Partner

Meredith has years of experience managing start-ups and small businesses, from marketing to website design and sales. She has also been an active member in the nonprofit sector for a decade. Meredith is conventionally quirky and a pragmatic dreamer. She fights for the underdog and never backs down from a challenge.

Meredith graduated from East Carolina University in Spring 2009 (Arrgghh!) with a degree in Architectural Design and minors in Business and Project Management.